State Worker Raises OKd

Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation Friday that gives immediate 2.5% raises to 79,000 state workers and another 2.5% in July--a package of benefits that is expected to cost the state as much as $83 million a year.

Among the state workers covered by the agreements are California Highway Patrol officers, firefighters, scientists and psychiatric technicians. An additional 132,000 state employees, including prison guards, engineers, attorneys and workers represented by California State Employees Assn. have not reached agreements.

“The state is continuing to bargain,” said state spokeswoman Lynelle Jolley.

Under the deals, which require approval by the affected employees, the state will not grant actual pay hikes initially. Rather, it will raise workers’ take-home pay by increasing the government’s share of the employees’ pension contributions by 2.5% immediately, and another 2.5% on July 1. In July 2003, workers will get an actual 5% pay hike, but their retirement contributions will increase by 5%.

The package for CHP could end up being greater. In signing the legislation, Davis issued a separate message saying the state is settling a lawsuit brought by CHP officers seeking parity with police departments in Los Angeles, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco and Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies. Under the legislation, CHP officers will receive pay equal to the average of officers in those departments by July 1, 2006.

CHP officers’ straight salary--not including bonuses for longevity or education or for serving as motorcycle officers--ranges from $3,692 a month to $5,240 a month, or $62,880 a year. Their average monthly base pay is $4,283. The average base pay for firefighters is $4,091. Pay for state scientists averages $4,706 per month, or $56,472 a year, with the most highly trained scientists receiving $6,894 a month.

The state Department of Finance placed the cost to the current year’s budget, which began July 1, at $69.5 million. The state Department of Personnel Administration estimates the annual cost of the packages at $83 million.

The state employee unions are significant contributors to Davis’ political coffers. So far this year, the unions that reached the agreements with the administration have contributed $236,000 to the governor’s reelection campaign. A Davis spokesman said the governor’s decision had nothing to do with the donations.

“The governor never bases his decisions on anything other than what is in the best interest of the citizens of this state,” Davis spokesman Robert Salazar said.